All 7 candidates in Japan’s Yokohama mayoral race rule out seeking an IR in the city

None of the seven candidates standing for the mayoral election in Japan’s Yokohama city (pictured) are in favour of pitching to have an integrated resort (IR) with casino. That is according to reports of candidate statements and other materials reviewed by GGRAsia’s Japan correspondent. The election is due on October 18. The election campaign period began on Sunday for the poll in the port city of circa 3.7 million, which is circa 35 kilometres (21.7 miles) south of Tokyo. The next application window to pitch to the national authorities for up to two Japanese casino-resort licences runs from early May to November 2027. Former Yokohama mayor Takeharu Yamanaka sought to make the IR question a central issue for that city’s latest mayoral poll, and wanted to take advantage of their opposition to such a scheme, per GGRAsia’s correpondent. Mr Yamanaka is an independent who last month resigned as mayor amid allegations of ill-treatment of staff, but is standing again. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) also sought to make opposition to the IR concept an electoral issue, according to GGRAsia’s correspondent. According to media reports, Mr Yamanaka and the CDP had respectively suggested there had been a resurgence of interest on the city council and in the business community regarding the IR topic. Nonetheless on September 24, Toru Sakakura, vice chairman of the Yokohama Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said at a press conference that the body would not ask candidates in the Yokohama mayoral election to pledge to work on having an IR in the city. Mr Sakakura was quoted as saying: “Clear opposition of Yokohama citizens on having an IR has been confirmed in the 2021 mayoral election and the issue has already been settled.” After Mr Yamanaka had been elected as Yokohama mayor in August 2021, he announced shortly afterwards that the metropolis would not be bidding – in a first round of national applications – to host a casino resort. Prior to that, Genting Singapore Ltd, operator of Singapore casino venue Resorts World Sentosa, and global casino operator Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd, had been identified as two contenders in the race to be a commercial partner for any Yokohama licence. The only approved Japanese IR so far is MGM Osaka, being developed by United States-based casino group MGM Resorts International, with local partners including Orix Corp. The JPY1.51-trillion (US$9.57-billion currently) MGM Osaka is due to open at the end of 2030.